Skirt-supporter.



WJJQAUSTEN.

SKIRT SUPPORTER.

(Application filed Apr. 19, 1900.)

Patented Ian. I, I90l.

(No Model.)

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NITED STATES FFICEL WALTER JOHN AUSTEN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- THIRD TO JAMES WILLIAM USE, OF SAME PLAUE.

SKlRT-SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,379, dated January 1, 1901.

Application filed A ril 19, 1900. Serial No, 13,455. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER J OHN AUSTEN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skirt-Supporters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a simple and effective device for connecting different parts of garments, such as a shirt or other dress waist, with, a skirt in such manner as to prevent one part, as the waist, from working upwardly from the waist-line above the waistband and at the same time hold up the other part, such as the skirt, and prevent it from d ropping or workingdownwardly from the waist-line of the figure.

The invention consists in a safety-pin provided with sheet-metal shields and penetrating points or barbs on the shield, enabling any part of the garment to be engaged with the barbs without previous preparation, such as sewing on eyes.

The device illustrated in the drawings coinprises a safety-pin having one or more sheetmetal barbs or hooks adapted to engage a skirt-waistband and support the same when the pin is engaged with the lower portion of a dress waist or bodice, the barbs projecting outwardly and upwardly from the waist to which the pin is applied, so that in putting on the skirt the barbs catch into the skirt just below the binding thereof or under the waistband, the connection thus aiforded between the waist and skirt preventing the waist from working upwardly and the skirt from working downwardly.

Of the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a skirt-supporting safety-pin embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

The same letters of reference indicate the same or similar parts.

In the drawings, a and b represent the wire arms or longitudinal members of a safety-pin, and o d represent sheet-metal caps or end pieces afiixed in any suitable way to said members. One end of the member a is pointed and is adapted to be sprung into and out of engagement with the end piece 0, which constitutes the usual catch and guard for the pointed end. The other end of the member a is permanently connected with the end piece d, and the ends of the memberb are permanently connected with the end pieces 0 and d, the parts a, b, c, and d constituting a safety-pin adapted to be applied and removed in the same manner as the ordinary safetypin in common use.

e e represent barbs or hooks formed by stamping out parts of the material of the end pieces a and 01, said barbs being inclined outwardly from the outer surfaces of said end pieces, so that when the pin is attached to a waist with the barbs pointing upwardly the barbs are in position to penetrate the material of a skirt placed over the pin, and thus cause the pin to support the skirt.

It is obvious that a single barb e at one end of the safety-pin will be to a certain extent effective as a skirt-supporter. Hence I do not limit myself to two barbs, one at each end of the pin. I prefer the two barbs, however, as affording a more efficient support, the weight of the skirt being balanced on the pin, so that there is no tendency of the pin to twist or swing to a vertical position, which tendency might exist if the pin had only one barb.

It is obvious that the described device may be used for other purposes-Jot example, the pin may be engaged with a drawers leg in position to cause the barbs to penetrate a sock or stocking leg and support the latter. The device may also be employed to connect an undershirt and drawers, its application and use being the same as above described, or the device may be employed for arranging curtains or other drapery in artistic folds or hangings by securing the pin in any desired portion of the drapery and catching other portions of the drapery upon the penetratingloarbs. In the same way it may be employed as a dress-holder or habit-looper or skirt-elevator by securing the pin in any desired por- 5 tion of the skirt and engaging another lower portion of the skirt with the penetratingbarbs.

It will be seen that my device requires no special device attached to either garment, I00 such as eyes, the device being therefore adapted to be used interchangeably for different purposes by simply detachingit from one garment and attaching it to another, and owing to the combination of the safety-pin with the penetrating-barbs the device may be immovably located, and the parts connected thereby will not become accidentally separated. This is for the reason that the safetypin enables the device to be positively attached and hold the penetrating-points in exact position without slipping away therefrom.

Owing to the fact that the penetrating-barbs are struck out from the material of the sheetmetal end pieces or shields, said barbs are located substantially in the line of the longitudinal center of the safety-pin. This brings the point of support for the garment attached to said barbs so close to the point where the safety-pin is attached that the garment or the piece of fabric hung upon said barbs will conceal the entire device Without risk of expos- WVALTER JOHN AUS'lEN.

Witnesses:

O. F. BROWN, A. W. HARRISON. 

